Shipping crate



May 29, 1923. v

H. MICHELSEN SHIPPING` CRATE Filed Aug. 17 1922 Patented 29, i923.

HAMILTON MTCHELSEN, OF MJAM, FLOBT-DA.

SHIPPING- CRATE.

Application filed August 17, 1922.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, HAMILTON MICHEL- snn, a citizen of the UnitedSta-tes, residing at Miami, in the county of Dade and State ot Florida,have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in 'hipping Crates, otwhich the following is a specification.

Tn the use ot a shipping crate constructed in accordance with LettersPatent oi' the United States No. 1,330,947, granted to me under date ofFebruary 17 19,20, it has been found that in re-icing, the operator willcrown the ice in the center of the ice chamber and will then force thecover into closed position. This filling of the ice chamber with anexcess of ice and the orcible closing of the cover causes a sagging ofthe ice chamber Hoor until it touches and often bears with considerablepressure on the sheet of insulation therebelow and on the fruit. Thispressure often bruises and injures the fruit, and the sagging causes thewater from the melted ice to collect and seep through the ice chamberfloor onto the fruit, further injuring the same and often rendering itunfit for salev on arriving at its point of destination, resulting inconsiderable loss to both the shipper and retailer.

The object oit this invention is to provide a bottom or floor for theice chamber, which is eiiec-tively braced and supported to prevent thesame from sagging in the center, and one constructed in such a manner asto enable a portion of the contents of the crate to be used and theremainder to be maintained cool under the ice temperature.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying' drawings andpointed out inthe claim hereto appended; it being Linderstood that various changes inthe Jform, proportion, size and minor details otconstruction within thescope of the claim may be resorted to without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any oi the advantages ot the invention.

To more clearly comprehend the invention, reference is directed to theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in broken top plan ot the preferred embodiment.

yof construction.

serial No. 582,336.

Fig. 3 is a like view, of a modiiied form Tn the drawings 1 indicates ashipping container, preferably of wood, oblong in plan, adapted to beclosed by a hinged cover 2, maintained in closed position duringtransportation by a lock or other securing means 3.

The container .is divided transversely by the vertically extending wall4f, the upper edge 5 of which falls short of contacting with the undersurface of the cover 2, and said wall divides the container intocompartments 5 and 6 adapted for receiving the avocados.

The container is divided, adjacent its upper surface, by thelongitudinally disposed horizontal partition pieces 7, which provide therespective `ice chambers 8 and 9 above the iruit receiving compartments5 and 6. rThe partition pieces 7 are removably held in position by therails or cleats 10, and the water resulting from the melting of the icein the respective compartments 8 and 9 escapes therethrough through theweep openings 11. An air chamber 12 is provided between the partitionpieces 7 and the upper surface of the fruit and the chambers 5 and G bya layer oi? cellular material 13 horizontally disposed longitudinally ofthe receptacle 1 beneath the pieces 7. This layer of cellular' materialmaintains the excessive cold trom the Yfruit contained within thechambers 5 and 6, and prevents the saine from becoming `frosted.

Tt will be observed that the respective chambers 5 and G; partitionpieces 7 and the layer ot cellular material 13 are independentlyremovable, thus enabling the fruit in one chamber to be removed whilethat in the other is maintained under a cooling temperature by areplenishment ot the ice. The partition pieces 4;, it will be observed,prevent the crowning ot the ire centrally of the ice shipping crate, andprovides a support 'tor the inner edge of the wall 7. This breaking oixthe wall 7 and supporting the same midway oi? its length adds strengththereto and prevents its sagging, which was the case in the shippingcontainers manufactured under the patent above mentioned.

Fig. 3 illustrates a container employing two vertically disposedpartition pieces arranged at right angles to each other, onetransversely of the shipping container and the other longitudinally,thus dividing the container' into` quarter'sections, andv it' is to beunderstood that1 each of these sections is provided With its individuallayerY of cellular material and horizontally disposed partition piece.

I-claim:- v A refrigerator shipping crate for the transportation' offruit; comprisinga box having itsvr interior l divided into a fruitreceiving compartment and a' superimposed ice receiving compartment, a"removable horizontally'vdisposed partitionv piece sepa'- 'ratingthe'said compartments and forming' a. bottomfor the ice receivingcompartment,A

a vertical partition piece Withinthe fruit r'eceivng compartment fordiv'ldlng thesame vertically into a lplurality of compartments and onwhichl said removable partition piece rests,ysaid partition piecedividingy said .ice receiving compartment vertically into a plurality ofcompartmentsya layer of cellular of the watertherefrom, a cover lfor theice compartment7 and means for locking the cover to the crate.

ln'testimony whereof I have signedfmy 7 name tothiss keciication.' v

H MILTON MICHELSEN.

